Bobby pin container



. Aug. 4, 1953 Filed May 19, 1950 Patented Aug. 4, 1953 BOBBY PIN CONTAINER John E. Heavens, Jr., Seymour, Conn., assignor to The Star Pin Company, Derby, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 19, 1950, Serial No. 163,003

13 Claims. 1

I This invention relates to bobby pin containers, and more particularly to bobby pin boxes of cardboard or the like in which the bobby pins are supplied to the consumer, the box having a body in which the pins are contained and also having a suitable cover.

The operation of opening a bobby pin preparatory to placing it in the hair is one attended with a certain amount of difficulty if the hands alone are relied upon. A certain amount of skill is required in opening the pin, and in doing this there is apt to be some injury to the fingers or to the nails or nail enamel.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a container in the nature of a box, in which the articles are sold, equipped with means for facilitating opening of the pin preparatory to placing it in the hair.

Another object is to provide a bobby pin box which has as a part thereof a spreading device which can be very conveniently used for spreading the legs of the bobby pin.

Another object is to provide a bobby pin box having a compartment adapted to contain the pins and another compartment which is useful in connection with a spreading device for the pins.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bobby pin box embodying my improvements, showing the box 0 cover in partly closed position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the box body with the cover removed;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the box body;

Fig.4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing positions assumed by a bobby pin in o ening the pin;

Fig. 5 is a perspective fragmentary view showing a modified form, in which form the spreading device is associated with the cover of the box;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a box body of modified form; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a further modification.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the pin-spreading device is associated with the body II] of a box of rectangular shape having a cover I I, said box being made of suitable material such as cardboard. Here the body is rectangular in partment or storage space I2 taking up the greater part of the box body. In this particular case a small compartment I3 is arranged at what may be termed the front of the box body, the same being separated from the compartment I2 by a partition I4 which may be conveniently made of a piece of cardboard having ends I 5 that are bent at right angles to the partition and are suitably secured in place as by securing them adhesively to the side walls of the elongated box body. The forward end Wall Iii of the box provides the forward wall of the compartment I3, and in this form the wall l6 has associated therewith a pin-opening device generally indicated at IT. The pin-opening device in this particular instance is provided by providing the wall I6 with an aperture of window I8, preferably of rectangular shape, which is spaced downwardly from the top edge I9 of the wall I6, the arrangement being such that the portion of wall I6 above window I8 (Fig. 1) can serve as a spreading means for the bobby pins, in which operation utilization is made of window I8 in the manner which appears hereinafter.

The bobby pins are usually in general of the shape shown in Fig. 4, being forked pins having one leg somewhat longer than the other, the leg having the shorter end being provided at the end with a relatively short bent portion which facilitates the opening up of the pin. For the purpose of opening the pin the latter is caused to straddle the part of wall I6 which is above and in line with the window I8. This wall portion is indicated at 26 in Fig. 4, and inasmuch as the cardboard or the like providing this portion is subject to wear in opening up pins, it is preferable to apply a suitable wear-resistant layer to the portion 20, which layer is indicated at 2|. In this particular case the layer 2I is provided by applying a length of cellophane tape, having a pressure-sensitive adhesive on one face, to the portion 20 as shown, for example, in Fig. 3 of the drawing, such tape being securely held in place by the adhesive and being a very satisfactory and durable material for the purpose.

In opening up the pins the latter are engaged at their open ends with the upper edge of the box wall in a location above window I8, and then pushed downwardly to a certain extent, as illustrated in Fig. 4, so as to bring the front leg of the pin downwardly to a position such as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, with the forward leg extending downwardly to a point below the upper edge of the window. The pin is then turned or swung in a counterclockwise direction with reference to Fig. 4, while the upper end of th same is grasped by the fingers so as to bring the pin to a position such as shown in dotted lines in Fi 4. In this operation the pin legs, being in en-- gagement with the upper and lower edges of wall portion 20, 2!, which are spaced apart at the proper distance for the purpose, will be separated to the desired extent, and then the fingers of the operator can be slid on the pintoward the free ends of the legs for the purpose of grasping the middle part of the pin to maintain the existing leg separation. The pin is then drawn in a leftward direction with reference to Fig. 4 so as to disengage the box, and enable the pin, with its legs separated sufiiciently, to be conveniently placed in the hair.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 5 the spreading device is associated with the end portion of a box cover 22. Here the window in the forward wall of the cover is indicated at 23, and

the spreading portion of the wall, reinforced as before, is indicated at 24. The manner of use of this device will be obvious. Such a form is not considered as satisfactory as that above described, because usually the cover has less stability than the body portion of the box, especially when the body of the box contains a certain weight of bobby pins that tends to hold. the box body in place on a table or the like while the pins are being spread.

The form shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, is

one well adapted for use in beauty parlors, and may be made sufiiciently large to contain several hundred bobby pins. A smaller size box may obviously be provided, and this is intended to be shown in Fig. 6, where the box body 25 is supposed to be of less capacity than .the body I ii. In this case also the compartment !3, previously described, is omitted in order to provide a cheap or construction. Also in this case the reinforcing element used on the box wall at the pinspreading portion thereof is a small sheet-metal plate which is bent at the middle so that the plate straddles the upper edge of the end Wall of the box. This sheet-metal plate is indicated in the drawing at 25.

In the modification shown in Fig. '7 the arrangement in general is the same as in the form first described, the box body having a compartment 2G for bobby pins and a smaller compartment 2'! into which one end of a bobby pin can be projected in the manner previously described. However, in this case two side walls of the box body are used in creating windows or apertures 28 and 29, used in association with pin-spreading portions 3%. In this case, as will be noted, the windows it and 29 are located at the respective ends of the compartment 21. Each of the pinspreading devices shown in this view acts generally in the same manner as the spreading device of Fig. 1.

It will be apparent that, while the container is referred to as being made of cardboard, it may be made of any other suitable material. For the purpose of enabling convenient spreading of the pins, a portion of the box wall is utilized, the same being reinforced to provide extra durability, although in some cases the reinforcement is unnecessary. In association with thespreading' device having the spreading wall portion and the associated window, a special compartment can be provided, as above described, to receive a part of the pin when the pin is turned or swung in order'to spread it. The structure of the container can be very simple and cheap, and a considerable amount of utility is added to the container by reason of the fact that it embodies a very effective spreader for the pins, greatly facilitating the opening up or spreading of the pins and their application to the hair. In another aspect it can be said that the article described not only serves to facilitate application of the bobby pins to the hair, but also provides a shipping or merchandising container or package in which a quantity of bobby pins, as sold and as used, can be retained. The article is very well adapted to home use as well as professional use.

While several forms of the invention are illustrated, various other forms can be utilized within the principles of the invention and the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A bobby pin box comprising a body and a cover, said box body having an aperture-defining wall structure thickened throughout a portion thereof to provide a spreading device for spreading the legs of they bobby pins when saidcover is removed, said cover in the operative position enclosing said spreading device.

2. A bobby pin box equipped with a device used in spreading the legs of the pin, said device including the reinforced wall structure of the box at one end of the latter and comprising a spreading panel portion and a window adjacent said portion'and partially defined thereby.

3. A bobby pin box of substantially rectangular shape equipped with a device used in spreading the legs of the pin, said device including the Wall structure of the body of the box atone end of the latter and comprising a thickened wall portion adapted to be straddled by the pins anda window portion below the wall portion.

4. A bobby pinbox of cardboard equipped with a device used in spreading the legs of the pin, said device including the wall structure of the body of the box at one end of the latter and comprisinga wall portion adapted to be straddled by the pins and a window portion below the wall portion, the wall portion used in spreading the pins having an external reinforcing layer.

5. A member forming a part of a bobby pin box, said member being of cardboard and having a wall provided with a window and adjacent said window a thickened pin-spreading wall portion.

6. A member forming a part of a bobby pin box, said member being of cardboard and having a wall provided with a window and adjacent said window a reinforced pin-spreading wall portion, said latter portion extending from said window to one edge of the wall.

'7. A member forming a part of a bobby pin box, said member being of cardboard and having a wall provided with a window and adiacent said window a pin-spreading wall portion, said latter portion extending from said window to'one edge of the Wall and being reinforced externally to make it more durable.

8. A bobby pin box having a rectangular box body provided at one end with a window located to provide a leg-spreading portion extending from the upper edge of the Window to the upper edge of the body, said box body having an interior compartment communicating with said window and providing a turning space for bobby pins, the box body being further provided at the remote side of said compartment with a second and larger compartment adapted to house a store of bobby pins adjacent the first compartment.

9. A box component of rectangular shape having side and end Walls, one of said Walls being provided with a window intermediate of the height of the wall, the wall having a free edge from which the window is spaced, the portion of thewall between the free edge and the window serving as a spreading panel for bobby pins, said component being of cardboard and the panel portion having an enclosing layer of reinforcing material.

10. A bobby pin box having a rectangular body with a pin-receiving compartment extending through the greater part of the body length and extending to one end of the body, one end of said compartment being separated from the other end of said body by a smaller compartment, and said last-named end of the body being provided with a window communicating with said smaller compartment, the window being defined in part by a wall portion serving as a spreading panel for bobby pins.

11. A member forming a body of a bobby pin box, and a member forming a cover for said body, said body having a lateral wall provided with a Window and adjacent said window a pin-spreading portion for spreading bobby pins when said cover is removed. from said body, said portion extending from said Window to one edge of said lateral wall, said cover having a lateral wall which in the operative position of the cover extends over the window.

12. A bobby pin box having a body, and a cover for said body, said body being provided with a window and a pin-spreading portion adjacent the window for spreading bobby pins when the cover is removed from the body, said cover in the operative position extending over and closing the window.

13. A bobby pin box having a body, and a cover for said body, said body having a window therein and adjacent said window a separate compartment into which a pin being spread can enter, said cover in the operative position extending over and closing said Window.

JOHN E. HEAVENS, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 142,712 Gilchrist Oct. 30, 1945 D. 150,143 Lemke et al. July 6, 1948 D. 153,810 Koslap May 17, 1949 D. 155,470 Zorn Oct. 4, 1949 171,869 Reckendorfer July 4, 1876 995,259 Kingsbury June 18, 1911 2,226,237 Cooper Dec. 24, 1940 2,295,987 Boxer Sept. 15, 1942 2,305,925 Josephs Dec. 22, 1942 2,511,768 Carlson June 13, 1950 2,627,860 Harris Feb. 10, 1953 

